Door check and closer



Sept. 21, 1948. R. c. VAN DE BOE 2,449,326

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER Filea April 12. 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR. Esx 0236 \IAN :DEBOE WT FM.

Sept. 21, 1948.

R. c. VAN DE EOE DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1946 INVENTOR.

EEXFQKD C. VANDE BoE ATTORNEY J UNITED of the preceding figures;

Patented Sept. 21, 1948 DOORCHECK AND cLosER Rexf ord O. v De Boe, Drexel Hill, Pa.

Application April 12, 1946, Serial n stiness has for an object to provide improved apparatus of this character. i

Another object of :the invention is toprovide a mechanical doorcheck=and closer'wherein a spring or equivalent means acts upon an, open door to close the same, and a brake mean-s prevents too rapid closing of the door and slows its closing motion "almost .to a stop momentarily when the door is nearly closed.

a Afurther object of the invention is to provide a novel door check and closer of the mechanical type having an internal expanding brake member, together with means for causing said brake to retard closing movementeof a door and to offer little or no resistance to opening of said door.

Yet another object of the invention is, to provide a mechanical door check and closer including eccentric mechanism for momentarily retarding the rated closing of the door controlled by saidcheck and closer. it

These and "other objects are efiected by the invention as will be apparent from the. following description and claims, taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings, forming apart of 'this'applicatiomin which: i

Fig. 1 isa fragmentary perspective view of a door .casing and door equipped with a door check and closer constructed in accordance with the present invention; i

i Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe door check and closer of Fig.11;.

u 1 Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the mechanism Fig. 5 is a plan view, with a portion of the structure broken away along the line V-V of Fig.

6, looking in the direction indicated by the ,VIIE-VII of Fig. 2,. lookinginthe direction indicated by thearrows;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of apair of co- .operating elements of themechanismof the preceding figures; and; i 1 i c i Fig. 9 is a plan view of yet another element of the mechanism. Referring now to the drawings in greater detail,

7 Claims. ((31. 16-49 the reference character l'0 indicates. in itsqentirety, a, check and closer for adoor ll, hinged, as at 12, to the door casing I3.

The closer l0 includes a housing or casing l4,

whose side wall 16 iscylindrical. A bottom wall l1, integral with the side wall I6, is permanently secured to a supporting angle or bracket-l8 in any suitable manner, for example, by spot welding. The leg [9 of the bracket. i8 is provided with openings 2| for passage of screws by which the closer is secured to the ,door II in the usual manner.

The open top, ofthecasingl4 is adapted to be closedby a removable cover 22, retained in closing relation to the, casing [4 by a plurality of screws 23. The cover 22 is provided with aflanged axial opening 24, the flange 26 thereof serving as a bearing for a hub 21, rotatably mounted therein and prevented fromwithdrawal therefrom by a hub: flange 28 abutting the inner-side 10f the cover 22i tained therein by nut .33: threaded on stud\34,

integralwith the outer end of hub 21. Thus, the hub 21 and the lever 32 will move as a unit.

The free end of lever 32 has a ball project- ,ingfrom its upper surface and adapted for reception in a mating socketflrnember 31 carried at one outlet a link 38,.whose lengthis adjustable through the threaded connection, at 39, of the two parts 4| and 42 thereof. The free end of part 42 is adaptedto be pivotally attached to thedoor casing l3 by the bracket 43 and pin .44, in the usual manner. It will be apparent that opening of the door II will operate through link '38 and lever 32 to rotate the hub 21 in a clockwise direction relative to the casing it; as viewed in Figs.,1, 2 and 5, and that closing of the door will be accompanied by counterclockwise rotation of the hub relative tothe casing.

Theinnersurface of the circular casing side Wall l6 serves as a brake drum against which bears a brake band 46 of suitable braking material. The brake band 46 is secured to theouter surface of a resilientcarrier or brake shoe 41 by a plurality ofrivets or screws 48. The brake band 46 is of a length somewhat less than a full circle, and the resiliency of the brake shoe 41 is such as to normally urge thebrake band outwardly into engagement with the drum surface of the casing side wall l5. One end of the brake shoe 41 is turned back upon itself, as at 49, toprovide a'loop 5| for passage of a pin 52 carried by the spaced 5 by :outwardly-extending flanges 5108. These flanges Iare adapted to surround and rideupon mating inwardly-directed flanges I09- at the peripherieso'fupper and lower eccentrics H0 and I II; respectively, fixedly secured to the casing cover; 22iand the casing bottom wall I1, respectively. These eccentrics are directly opposed,

and are offset laterally with respect to the axis ofthexcasing side wallor brake drum I6. mhswthe door I I moves from open to closed position',- the follower'member I06 will rotate relative to, and be guided by, the eccentrics H0 and" I II. As the post portion I03 of the fo1lower member passes the high points of the eccentries; it will be movedradially outward with consequentrincreaselin the pressure exerted on the brake band bytthe flat spring IOI,-this additional braking action further retarding the closing motion of the door. The eccentrics are sowdisposed that this additional braking action takes place shortly before the door reaches, closed position. After the post portion I03 of the followermember has. passed the high points of, the eccentrics, the closingmotion of the door will return to its previous speed, which will be sufficient to assure positive latching of the door.

Adjustment of the tension in the coil spring .83'; ,to increaseor decrease the closing force, is effected by inserting a socket screw wrench in the hexagonal opening 'i I5 in the bottom end of the sh'aftQBI, removing the locking plug 66, and turning the shaft-in the desired direction tochange the spring tension. The'shaft is secured in its new position of adjustment by inserting the locking plug 66 in o'ne'of the openings formed by the half opening 61 in the shaft 6| mating with one of the half openings 68 in the casing bottom wall I! and the bracket I8. The four half openings, spaced ninety degrees apart, provide for quarterturn adjustment of the shaft and spring. I While the invention has beenshown in but one form, it will be apparent that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes, modifications and applications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a door check and closer, a casing including a circular side wall whose inner surface is adapted to function as a brake drum, a shaft extending axially of said drum, means securing said shaft against rotation relative to said drum, a brake band within said casing and adapted to frictionally engage said drum, means normally urging said brake band into frictional engagement with said drum, means for rotating said brake band relative to said drum in one direction upon opening of a door with which said check and closer is associated, and a coil spring having one end secured to the shaft and the other end operatively associated with said last-mentioned means, whereby said spring is tensioned upon opening of the door and whereby said tensioned spring operates through said last-mentioned means to close the door and to rotate the brake band relative to the drum in the opposite direction, said last-mentioned means including means for reducing the normal frictional engagement of the brake band with the drum during opening of the door and for increasing said normal frictional engagement during closing of the door.

2. In a door check and closer, a brake drum; a brake band adapted to rotate relative to said drum in one direction when a door with which said check and closer is associated is moved to 6 openpositionandl to rotate in :the opposite direction irelative to said drumxwhen the ldoonis moved: to closed position; first" means associated with said-brake band and adapted to :maintaln the latter in light frictional engagement with the drum lwhile the doon is being opened and to urge the brake banduv into heavy frictionalengagemen-t withsthe drum when the door is being closed, wherebyopening movement of? the door is unretarded :bythe brake and closing movementwis retarded to prevent slamming; and second means-associated withsaid brake band fortbiasing the. .latter against the brake drum with, predetermined pressure throughout the first *andfmajor portionof the closing movementof the door, said second means i being eccentrically mounted for movement withthe brake band, said eccentric mountingpr'ovidingifor increase in the braking action as:the door=nears its closed position and for thereafter decreasing said braking action. before zcompletio-n of the door-closing motion. L w 1.

3.:In a door check and closer,.a casing includ 'inga circular wall whose inner surface is adapted to function as a brake drum; a brake band adaptedqlto rotate relative to said inner surface in one direction when awdoor with whichsaid check and closer is associated-is movedto open position i and to rotate; in, the opposite direction relative to saidtinner surface when ,the door is moved to closed position; ,a spring in the form of a strip of I, resilient. material associated with said brake band at the side thereof away from said in-.-

ner surface: and. adapted to maintain the brake bandin light ,frictional engagement with the drum While the door is being opened andto urge the brake band into heavy frictional engagement with the inner surfacewhen the door is being closed, whereby openingmovement of the door is unretarded byithe brake and closing movement is retarded to prevent slamming; ashaftdisposed axiallyof said casingpmeans preventing relative rotation of said shaft and casing; :a coil spring having one end secured to said shaft and the other end operatively associated with said brake band, whereby upon opening movement of the door said spring is tensioned and the energy thereby provided in said spring functions to produce closing movement of the door.

4. In a door check and closer, a casing including a circular wall adapted to function as a brake drum; a shaft within said casing disposed axially of said circular wall and normally non-rotatable relative thereto; a brake band within said casing and adapted to rotate in one direction relative to said drum when a door with which said check and closer is associated is moved to open position and to rotate in the opposite direction relative to said drum when the door is moved to closed position; a coil spring surrounding said shaft in spaced relation to the walls of said casin and having its inner termina1 portion secured to said shaft and its outer terminal portion operatively associated with said brake band, whereby during opening movement of thedoor the normal tension of said spring is increased and said increased tension functions to produce the closing movement of the door; a centrally-disposed hub rotatably mounted in and extending through the top Wall of the casing; an operating lever carried by the outer end of said hub; a U-shaped brakedriving member disposed horizontally in the casing with the upper leg thereof overlying the coil spring and non-rotatably secured to the inner end of said hub and the lower leg underlying the coil spring in parallel spaced relation to the upper leg; and means securing the free ends of said legs to the brake band, whereby movement of said leveris imparted to said brake band, and movement of the latter is transmitted to said lever,

5. In a door check and closer, a brake drum; a brake band adapted to rotate in one direction relative to said brake drum when a door with which said check and closer is associated is moved to open position, and to rotate in the opposite direction relative to said drum when the door is moved to closed position; a coil spring having one end connected with said drum and the other end connected with said brake band, said spring normally being tensioned and said tension being increased upon rotation of said brake band relative to said drum in said one direction upon opening of said door, and said increased spring tension constituting a source of power for closing the door; an eccentric stationary relative to said drum; a follower connected to and rotatable with said brake band and adapted to be moved radially bysaid eccentric upon rotary movement relative thereto, outward radial movement of said follower operating to increase the frictional engagement of the brake band with the drum, thereby retarding closing action of the door; and said eccentric being so disposed-with respect to the path of travel of said follower and brake band that maximum retardation of the door-closing action occurs asthe door nears its closed position.

6. In a door check and closer, casing structure including a circular wall defining a brake drum; a brake band adapted to rotate in one direction relative to said brake drum when a door with which said check and closer is associated is moved to open position and to rotate in the, opposite direction relative to said drum when the door is moved to closed position; a hub rotatable with respect to said casin structure; a lever disposed exteriorly of said casing structure, said lever being operatively associated withsaid hub and moved relative to said casing structure uponmovement-of the I door; a brake-driving member housed. in said casin structure and providing a driving connection between said hub and saidbrakel band; a shaft normally non-rotatable relative to said casing structure; a coil spring surroundin said shaft and having one end secured thereto; means providing a driving connection between the other end of said spring and the brake band, whereby rotation of said brake band in said one direction relative to said drum in response to opening of the door contracts said spring,- and the tension in said contractedspring rotates said brakelband in said opposite direction relative to the drum to close the door; an eccentric carried {by said casing structure; and a follower carriedby-said brake band and moved radially by said eccentric during rotation of said brake band, outward radial movement of said follower increasinglthe frictional contact of said brake band withsaid drum and thereby retarding closing action of said door, 7. Structure as specified in claim 6, wherein said brake band is less than a full circle in length and said brake-driving member is connected thereto adjacent one end thereof, whereby upon opening of the door said one end of the brake band is pulled toward the other end thereof with reduction in-the diameter of said band, and upon closing of the door said one end of the brakeband is ushed away from the other end thereof with increase in the diameter of said band.

REXFORD c. VAN DE BOEt 7 REFERENCES CITED The following references 'are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hendry May 27; 1930 

